The Seldom Seen Kid

Elbow's new album The Seldom Seen Kid will be out in the US on 4/22, about a month after its release in the UK. I'm so glad we don't have to wait several months for the US release like we have in the past. Naturally, I've already heard the album and it's very, very good. Guy Garvey still has a way with words that'll have you swooning. I might even go so far as to say that some of their best songs are here. It's a really fine album. But what else would one expect?

Vinyl CD copies of the album carry a sticker which addresses the loudness wars with the message: "To preserve the excitement, emotion and dynamics of the original performance this record is intentionally quieter than some. For full enjoyment simply turn me up!" and includes a link to Turn Me Up. I hope more bands catch on and start doing this.

The first single from The Seldom Seen Kid is "Grounds For Divorce" (limited edition, numbered, CD, double 7-inch, exclusive b-sides on each. Of course I bought all three. I just wish that the 7-inches came with a code so I could download the b-sides. Why aren't all of the labels doing that?). Here's the video: